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New York Jets wide receiver Quentin Skinner trying to make a play during an NFL game against the Dallas Cowboys.
The New York Jets got busy ahead of their scheduled home finale with the New England Patriots.
On Saturday, December 27, the team announced three signings to the 53-man roster: “We’ve signed wide receiver Quentin Skinner, offensive lineman Marquis Hayes, and defensive back Tre Brown to the active roster,” the team posted on social media.
Earlier this week, the Jets placed three players on season-ending injured reserve. That group included standout pass rusher Will McDonald, defensive tackle Jay Tufele, and rookie linebacker Francisco Mauigoa.
That opened up three spots on the 53-man roster. The Jets didn’t immediately announce corresponding roster moves. This flurry of new signings now fills those vacant spots.
Jets Add Some Brutus Beefcake to Trenches and Insurance for Secondary
“Hayes (6-5, 318) was initially signed by the Jets in June and spent the summer with the team. After he was waived during roster cuts in August, he was signed to the practice squad. A seventh-round draft selection of the Arizona Cardinals out of Oklahoma, Hayes has not appeared in a regular season game during his pro career. He spent the first of his three seasons in Arizona on injured reserve, and he also had a stint with the Commanders’ practice squad last season,” Jets editorial contributor Susanna Weir wrote in a press release.
As Weir noted, Hayes hasn’t appeared in an NFL regular-season game in his career. Based on recent history, that isn’t expected to change in the final two weeks of the regular season.
The Jets are the only team in the NFL that has trotted out the same five starting offensive linemen all season long.
The same can’t be said for the Jets’ secondary. Sudden trades and injuries have shaken up the unit all year long.
Brown should provide some much-needed insurance on defense. He joined the Jets’ practice squad on November 11. The former Oklahoma product had been a practice squad elevation for the last three weeks. That will no longer be necessary with him now signed to the active roster.
Fan Favorite Finally Getting His Shot
During the offseason, I received exclusive behind-the-scenes access to Justin Fields’ version of “Jets West.”
A series of workouts that took place between the end of mandatory minicamp and the start of training camp. Nothing normally goes on between this gap of time in the NFL offseason calendar.
Fields flew down seven of his teammates to Florida, including Skinner. Those workouts and extra bonding time seem to have paid off.
“Skinner (6-5, 195) was signed by the Jets as an undrafted free agent out of Kansas in May. He led the Jets with 114 receiving yards in preseason competition and was signed to the practice squad after roster cuts in August. Over 38 games at Kansas from 2022-24, he had 80 receptions for 1,584 yards and 11 TDs,” Jets editorial contributor Susanna Weir wrote in a press release.
After patiently biding his time on the practice squad, Skinner is a part of the 53-man roster for the final two games of the season.
It remains to be seen exactly how much playing time that will translate to on Sunday, but it’s an opportunity, and that’s all you can ask for.
Paul Esden Jr. covers the New York Jets for Heavy.com. A New York native, he co-hosts a morning show, “The Manchild Show with Boy Green Digital.” Before joining Heavy in 2021, Esden Jr. covered both national and New York sports for FanSided, Elite Sports NY, and The Score 1260. More about Paul Esden Jr.
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